Attraction, Resonance and Attention III

In this posting, the last of three on attraction, resonance and attention, I want to focus on the questions that have been raised in several posted comments and suggest the strengths and weaknesses of my approach. In all spiritual development it is important to always question and never settle on any answer or philosophy as final. Critical thinking is required of our beliefs so we can rejoice in the openness of flowing with self-reflection as an aid in the midst of a resonant Cosmos.

1. The question of blame. Any teaching which engenders a sense of blame, guilt or shame needs to be walked away from. Seeing the impact of these phenomena is an effective tool for empowerment and it is a travesty to link them to blame.

2. Seeing and acknowledging attraction is a tool for developing increased control over all aspects of our existence. It is a gateway to accepting responsibility for all characteristics of our lives and much of what happens in them. The questions, for everything in life, becomes “How did I invite this in?” “What part of this did I invite in?” When we accept that we invite we have tools to either extend more invitations or to disinvite.

3. Attraction is a factor in most aspects of our lives. By most I will, arbitrarily, say I mean 85%. We cooperate with at least 85% of what comes to us both positive and negative. Admittedly 85% is a completely subjective number. It is meant to emphasize the power and great extent of these phenomena.

4. The weakness in my approach is that it leaves a hole one could drive a truck load of denial through. It is too easy to pick and choose never facing the more difficult deeper issues in our lives. The antidote here is dedication to a rigorous practice of self-inquiry, reflection and meditation. This approach calls for a brave willingness to face all things before assigning any experience to the remaining 15%. This requires a lot of work.

5. The strength of my approach is that it calls for critical thinking about these phenomena and rejects blind forms of either allegiance or rejection. No spiritual teaching should ever be swallowed whole without clear reflections about its limits and values. Critical thinking and self-reflection are the partners of faith. I do not believe that it is helpful to us as individuals or as a species to blindly adhere to anything.

6. The question of the Holocaust is interesting, controversial and very problematic. Since I am not a Jew, I am reluctant to speak about it except to say at times such despicable evil descends upon the earth as to utterly defy explanation. In addition to the holocaust, I include in these things the ethnic cleansing of native peoples so thoroughly used in the settling of North America, Slavery, Stalin’s purges after WWII and Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China. These things are simply unfathomable.

7. The question of soul contracts and Karma are equally interesting. Karma is used in Hindu thought. Native peoples and Shaman often speak of soul contracts, that is, that we all come into this life with contracts to experience particular things which will advance the growth of our soul during this incarnation. These are helpful ways to understand what happens to us some or perhaps most of the time. For example, it is clear to me that from the beginning of my life I have had a contract that this incarnation was about exploring spiritual issues. I began doing this long before I knew what it was that was happening. This has formed the core of everything I have done. It has been the ever-present motivation in my life that was first given and later accepted or chosen. My former spiritual teacher Sai Maa who I still deeply respect, and honor believes it is all about Karma. In her teaching everything that happens is part of our soul’s agreement and plan before birth. I no longer hold completely to that view and think that 85% is quite enough. But many good and wise people feel differently. I simply prefer an open system view where there is lots of room for human freedom and the unknown.

In these three posts I have tried to take a loving, reflective and critical view of attraction, resonance and attention to find a way of seeing that honors them and their place in our lives while also leaving room for the unknown, mystery and freedom.

My sense is that we live in a resonant universe which responds to us in a myriad of ways. It is to our enormous benefit to learn to flow with this resonance and to also see when a glitch develops so we can return to the flow. And also, to leave lots of room for the unknown, random and disconnected energies and experiences which have no real attachment to us.

PATHWAYS TO THE SOUL BLOG

I am starting this blog to create a space for dialogue about personal and spiritual growth. It is my plan to post once or twice per month and will respond to any comment within forty eight hours. I urge readers to comment on any of my postings with agreement, disagreement, questions or expansions. This blog is meant as a vehicle for dialogue, reflection and community.
Please feel free to pass these postings along to friends, family and colleagues. That is, after all, the way to “grow” the blog.
In this light there are three cautions I need to emphasize:
1) Posting here is not private or confidential. Anything said here is in the public domain.
2) This blog is a space for general reflection on themes of personal and spiritual growth and as such it is not intended as a substitute for psychotherapy or other treatment.
3) As the “keeper of this space” I reserve the right to erase any comment that is not in line with its intention.
I hesitate to say these things but legal consultants make it clear that this is necessary. (Sigh)

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C. Graham Campbell, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples, families and groups.

He has specialties in working with grieving people, people experiencing panic attacks and those searching for deeper meaning and purpose in life. Increasingly his work focuses on spiritual themes.

In addition to being a psychologist he has a degree in theology and is trained in transpersonal and spiritual psychology.